Why women are going to extreme lengths to make their hotel rooms safe

From infrared camera detectors to door alarms, intense safety routines are becoming the norm for many travellers

There’s a growing trend on social media: videos of women detailing the lengths they go to in order to increase security in their hotel rooms. In one TikTok clip from @victorias.way, tissues are pressed into the door peephole and an ironing board is jammed under its handle. In another, she uses a door wedge alarm as well as an infrared device to spot hidden cameras.
Responses to her videos have been divided. Some applaud her initiative, others question whether such extreme measures are really needed. Still, against a backdrop of high-profile assaults against women, it’s easy to see why anxiety has been building about staying alone in hotel rooms, where incidents of violence, sexual assault and rape do happen, albeit rarely.
In August 2024, a member of Air India’s cabin crew was reportedly attacked by an intruder in her room at Heathrow’s Radisson Red Hotel while, in June, a man was sentenced after he broke into a woman’s room at a Doubletree by Hilton hotel in Hull with a stolen knife. In March, The Times of India reported that a hotel manager in Hisar had been sentenced to jail after he raped a guest in her room.
“You hear stories all the time about flight attendants found in their rooms,” says Lea McIntyre, who posts her own viral Instagram safety videos under the name @flightattendantbaelee. “We probably frequent hotels much more often than average people, but there are so many stories, as well as ones about people being able to get keys and access their rooms.” 
With this in mind, she believes that taking extra security precautions is just common sense. “It takes literally less than 60 seconds to search your hotel room and I do think it’s necessary,” she says. Her routine is simpler than some on the internet. First, she leaves the door open while checking for intruders in the bathroom, wardrobes and under the bed (having once been given a room which already had guests staying in it). She also looks to see that windows and balconies are securely closed. She packs a panic alarm and her much-trusted portable door lock from Amazon, as well as a door wedge for when her lock doesn’t fit a hotel’s door.
Is all this justified? “​​Hotels take various measures to protect their guests, but the level of security can differ depending on the hotel’s [star] rating and location,” says Kate Fitzpatrick, EMEA Security Director at risk management provider World Travel Protection. “At a five-star establishment, you can expect a full security team monitoring CCTV footage 24/7, regular security patrols, and strong links with local law enforcement. The night staff will be trained to handle security incidents discreetly, whether it’s preventing unauthorised guests from entering or dealing with emergencies. 
“In mid-range hotels, security may not be as extensive. There may not be round-the-clock security personnel or as many cameras. However, steps like not announcing room numbers aloud during check-in, ensuring that room keys are discreet, and maintaining some levels of surveillance are generally standard practices. Even in the safest hotels though, personal vigilance is key – stay aware of your surroundings and follow basic security routines like locking doors and keeping valuables secure.”
Fitzpatrick believes that some of the social media hotel security tips are particularly useful in lower-end accommodation. “Placing a chair against the door may offer some peace of mind, for example,” she says.
Like many of the content creators, she advocates covering door keyholes, using a hotel safe (as long it’s bolted down and can’t be removed) and possibly bringing a portable door lock or door-stop alarm for an added layer of protection in these establishments. But hotel staff should also take steps to make guests feel secure, according to Fitzpatrick.
“If you do feel unsafe, inform hotel reception and don’t hesitate to request a room change or ask to move to a different floor. Also, if other guests are making you feel unsafe then hotel security should be told as they are trained to resolve this. If the hotel doesn’t have security and you are concerned, always call the police,” she says.
Hotel staff should always ask for ID and never publicise room numbers at check-in or breakfast – but this isn’t always the case, according to Carolyn Pearson, CEO and founder of travel safety training and consultancy provider Maiden Voyage. There is no universal formalised vetting process for hotel staff (in the UK, they are rarely subject to DBS checks) and, on occasion, they may even be responsible for problems such as nuisance phone calls or thefts from rooms. 
Pearson highlights the room show-round as a potential concern. “I always recommend that hotel staff wedge the door open while showing guests around a room but, if the guest has a door wedge, they can do it themselves, because there have been incidents of inappropriate behaviour during the rooming process.”
Like McIntyre, she recommends checking for unwanted intruders when first entering a room, as well as making sure that the locks work. She also avoids interconnecting rooms and signing her name and room number into visitor books at the gym or swimming pool. 
As for hidden cameras, these have typically been more of a problem in Airbnbs than hotels, according to Kody Kinzie, field security researcher at Varonis and presenter on the YouTube channel securityFWD, though security cameras are now banned inside the company’s listings. He admits that he doesn’t usually check for cameras himself, though there are exceptions.
“Any plugged-in device pointed towards a sensitive area gets extra scrutiny. If there is an alarm clock, lamp, wall plug, or other powered object pointed towards a shower or bedroom area, I will immediately want to look if there are any signs of a lens,” he says.
“But as a hacker, I pay more attention to the Wi-Fi environment, and this is where I’ve found undesirable IoT [Internet of Things] devices before. By scanning the guest network and noting any suspicious IoT devices around me, I’m more likely to discover Wi-Fi connected cameras.”
But while some security measures are sensible, experts point to an issue with regimes like the ones in the most extreme online videos. The more measures you take to secure a room, the harder it will be to get out. 
“Even with a door jammer or a door wedge, if somebody has a heart attack, then people can’t get in that easily – it’s gonna take a bit of brute force and pushing before these things will finally give way,” says Pearson. “So with any secondary device that you use, including the hotel’s deadlock, you have to weigh that up. If you’re in a place that has earthquakes or bushfires, or you’ve got a medical condition, then you have to weigh up whether there’s been anything that’s made you feel nervous about your personal safety, such as a member of staff behaving peculiarly or people hanging around in reception monitoring guests. Weigh up what’s the best course of action, what’s your risk, and what you are going to do to mitigate it.”